Popularity Contest
by SoulfullyInclined
Summary: I don't own anyone. *Life and quality of the story depends on the reviews*. *Please Leave More Than A 2 Word Review*. *Please Review*. *Be Nice/Kind*.
1. Monday

It was Monday and our last class before lunch, history. We were discussing the civil war. A steady rain was falling outside. I was hungry and the teacher, Miss Richardson, was droning on like a bee. The door opened and a student wed never seen before entered the classroom. That was because she was new. She was very pretty with long honey blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing all black and smiling waiting for Miss Richardson to notice her. Miss Richardson finally looked up.

"Yes?" she said.

"Hi I think I'm supposed to be in your class," the new student said.

She handed Miss Richardson her schedule, who took it and looked at it.

"Yes, yes you are," Miss Richardson confirmed.

She handed the student back her schedule.

"You can go sit beside Lucy," she said pointing at the empty chair next to me.

The student came and sat in it.

"Hi," she said to me; "I'm Ashley, Ashley Jenkins."

"Hi," I replied; "I'm Lucy Camden."

"Isn't your dad the reverend of the local church?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

I noticed how perky Ashley was.

"Hey are you a cheerleader?" I asked.

Ashley laughed.

"That's a great movie."

"Yeah it is."

"And yes, yes I am actually. You?"

"Yeah."

"It's after school right?"

"Yes."

"Oh. What's next?"

"Lunch."

"Finally. I just got here and already I'm tired."

"The rain'll do that to people."

"Yeah."

"You wanna have lunch with me?"

"Ok."

"And your homework is to read chapter-" the teacher was saying.

The bell rang.


	2. Chapter 2

Ashley, myself and my friend Margo were all having lunch together in the commons. Margo, however, wasn't eating, as usual. It was still raining.

"You're not eating?" Ashley asked Margo, although the answer was quite obvious.

Margo shook her head; "no. I rarely ever do."

"Oh."

"So where are you from?" I asked Ashley.

"Originally New York but I was born in Louisiana and then moved here."

"Oh. What part?"

"Brooklyn. And New Orleans."

"Oh. I'm from California."

"Oh."

"And I'm from here," Margo said.

"Oh."

A flash of lightning lit up the dim gray outside. Ashley jumped. We looked at her. She was wide eyed.

"Sorry," she apologized; "I, really don't like thunderstorms. It's, this thing I have. About noise. And..."

"It's ok," I said.

"I really need to be home right now or no, wait, somewhere that's not my house but well……..oh god."

"Do you wanna go to my house?" Margo asked.

"You're sure your parents wont mind?"

"They won't be home."

"Oh ok yeah sure."


	3. Margo's

We were at Margo's house, sitting around the round, light wooden kitchen table in the kitchen. Ashley was quietly crying. Margo's older sister, Vanessa walked in.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey Lucy."

"Hey Vanessa what are you doing here?" Margo asked.

"Mom's out all afternoon and she told me to stay here to make sure the guys didn't drink in the house."

"Oh. Ok."

Ashley gasped. Vanessa looked at her.

"Whats wrong dear?" she asked.

"I, really hate thunderstorms. It's, this thing I have. I'm sorry I just……..I'm sorry," Ashley replied.

"It's ok."

Vanessa took out a tea bag from the cabinet and turned on the stove where a shiny tea kettle was resting. Margo dimmed the lights and Vanessa lit some candles.

"I'm Vanessa by the way," Vanessa said.

"Hi I'm Ashley."

Soon, Ashley had a mug of tea in front of her steaming and warm. She drank the tea slowly, collecting herself. After she was done with her tea she went upstairs to take a bubble bath and I guess she fell asleep because we didn't hear from her for a few hours.


	4. Chapter 4

**Tuesday**

It was Tuesday, the next day. We were in art class. Other people were chatting around us. I was working on a toothpick project, Margo was converting her ballet photographs into drawings and Ashley was working on her project. She pulled out some razor blades and scattered them on her paper.

"Um Ashley?" Margo said.

"Yes Margo?"

"What are you doing?"

"Same thing you're doing. Art. It's called art therapy. I learned it while I was in the hospital."

"Hospital?" I asked.

"Yeah. Been in there several times for past suicide attempts and other such matters."

"Oh."

"No, but I mean," Margo said; "_what_ are you doing?"

She indicated the razor blades Ashley was now moving around on the paper.

"It's called art Margo I already told you."

At that moment the teacher looked up.

"Ashley," he said.

"You need to go see the counselor."

Ashley dropped the razor blade she was holding onto her paper and looked up herself.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just because I'm making art? Well I'll have you know that that's what everyone else is doing!"

Several other people stopped what they were doing and looked up.

"That's not art that's that's….." the teacher protested.

"Insanity? Yeah I know what you're gonna say. And its not insanity; it's called art therapy and provides to be very useful thank you. Now, if you knew anything at all about art you would know that."

"Ashley."

"What? And for your information Van Gogh was quote-on-quote 'insane' and look how well known he is!"

"Ashley, the counselor asked for you."

"Uh huh."

Ashley took her stuff and left. After class was over and everyone had left, Margo and I collected Ashley's art project. Our next class was science, biology.


	5. always make a scene?

Margo and I got to the biology classrooms a few minutes earlier than everyone else did. We sat down on chairs near Ashley's. Her eyes were drawn to her desk and she had become very quiet. She didn't seem up to talking. Or making a scene, for that matter. 'Something has changed within me something is not the same I'm tired of playing by the rules of someone else's game' to quote a line from Wicked's Defying Gravity.

"Damn do you always make a scene like that?" Margo asked.

"Hey man I stand up for what I believe in."

"Oh."

"That art teacher obviously has no clue what he's talking about. I taught art to troubled children up in Brooklyn."

"Oh."

Ashley was cutting and bleeding on the desk.

"Omygod you're bleeding," I pointed out, rather obviously.

"Yeah welcome to my world Lucy."

"Hey I do it too I've just never been bold enough to…….wow."

"Yeah well. Something has to help with the pain. I'd punch a wall but I don't feel up to doing that right now."

"The pain?" I asked at the same time that Margo asked "punch a wall?"

"Yeah. I'll explain later."

"Oh. Ok."

"Well, I'm a dancer, so…….you know, the toe thing. That's a form of self destruction," Margo said.

"Yeah I do. As am I," Ashley said.


	6. Chapter 6

It was after school and Margo, Ashley and I were all sitting on the light wooden, polished floor of the large stage in the auditorium. Our stuff was pushed back a few feet behind us. Ashley and I had cheerleading next while Margo had ballet. Ashley would then be joining Margo at ballet. Ashley was cutting, as usual

"Well, what happened?" I asked her.

"so Craig apparently called the school while I was in art, which was part of the reason I got called out, to see the counselor."

"Craig?" Margo questioned.

"This guy who happens to occupy the same house that I do."

"Oh."

"And it appears Aurora has died."

"Aurora?" I asked.

"My older sister. Yeah I didn't know I had an older sister, either."

"Oh god. That must be……..I don't even know."

"Yeah, it is."

"So that's why…….?" Margo asked.

"Yeah that's why I was cutting in science class."

"Oh."


	7. 3 pm

It was 3 p.m. and time for cheerleading. Ashley and I were in the locker room, hanging out. She undressed; I noticed bruises on her arms. i couldn't help but stare.

"Oh, yeah, these?" she asked casually.

I nodded.

"Yeah. What um....what um happened?" I asked

"Back up in New York my dad put me through a lot of damage."

"Oh. But since you're not living there any more shouldn't those have......um faded?"

Ashley looked at me.

"Lucy," she said.

"Yeah?" I asked

"I live with Craig."

"Oh. And Craig is...?"

"This guy."

"Well yeah I know that."

"He, um, found me ........."

"Found, you?"

"Yeah I was.........I'd been living on the streets for awhile. He found me."

"Oh. Wow."

"These," Ashley indicated the bruises; "are from Craig."

"Wow," I repeated.

"He drinks and......smokes."

"And hits you too apparently."

"Your mom know about this?" Keesha asked.

Ashley turned towards her; "Keesha," she said

"Yeah?" Keesha asked

"My mom's dead."

"Oh I, had no idea."

"Yeah, I know you didn't. Anyway."

The cheerleading captian came into the room, poking her head in.

"Hey ladies everyone ready?" she asked

She looked at Ashley.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked

"It's........best not to ask," Keesha replied

"Long story," Ashley replied

"Oh. it's.....it's not someone um here, is it?" the captian asked

"No. No, it's not."

"Oh ok."

She left.


	8. Chapter 8

We were walking from the bus stop to Ashley's house.

"Now," Ashley said, once we'd arrived; "he's a little mean sometimes."

"Who?" I asked.

"Craig," she replied.

"Oh."

She pulled out her key, stuck it in the door and took a breath.

"Let's hope to god he's not angry," she muttered

"Um ex........exscuse me? Hope to who?"

"I said . . ."

"No, I heard what you said Ashley. I just.......you see, my dad's a reverend and....."

She turned towards me; "Lucy, I've had a long day. Don't push me."

"Oh k."

She unlocked and opened the large, wooden, white front door of the house. We stepped into the brightly lit living room.

"Aw jeez craig kill the lights. Craig? Craig??" Ashley asked worriedly.

"Living room with Nicole," a male voice answered.

"Ok."

"Lock the door would ya?" the voice answered.

"Yeah sure of course," Ashley answered.

I was behind her. She turned and looked at me.

"Lucy?" she said.

"Yeah?"

"The door?"

"Oh. Right."

We stepped inside and I closed the door behind me.

"Thanks," Ashley said.

"Uh huh."

"Like he'd bother to," she muttered.

"Um what, should I do with my coat?" I asked.

"Oh, keep it. Craig has a habit of........er borrowing, things.......items of clothing, things out of coat pockets."

"Oh. Um. Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"I atually don't know."

"Oh. Right. For his hooker girlfriends."

"Wow."

"Yeah welcome, to my world."

We walked into the living room where the tv was blasting. A couple was making out on the white rectangular couch.

"Hey Ashley," the woman said, when they'd come up for air.

"Hey Nicole. This is my friend Lucy."

The woman looked at me. She was gorgeous, with a full figure and dark eyes and hair.

"Hey. I'm Nicole," she told me.

"Yeah I figured. And I'm .. ." I started to say.

"Yeah I already know. You're Lucy."

"Yeah."

"Craig? Craig!" Ashley said.

"Huh?"

"Lily might stop by later."

"Oh yeah ok."

He was tall, about 5'7, with a shaved head.

Ashley turned to me.

"You want anything to drink?" she asked me.

"Um sure ok," I replied.

"Ok. See ya around Nicole which I'm sure I will, knowing Craig," Ashley said, walking to the kitchen.

"What was that?" Craig asked.

"Knocked up any more of your girlfriends lately?"

Craig muttered something inaudible.

"Yeah honey I'll see you," we heard Nicole call.

"Nicole it was nice metting you," I said politely.

"Yeah Lucy it was nice meeting you too honey."

Ashley and I went through the swinging door to the kitchen. She opened the door to the fridge.

"Whatdaya want? We have........aww jeez. Craig!"

There was a pause from the living room.

"Yeah?"

"I thought you were going to stop drinking."

"Ashley I'm busy right now."

Ashley muttered something inadubile.

"We have beer......wine..........vodka, whiskey........" she rattled off.

"Wow. Um, do you have anything.....?"

"I don't imagine you drink, being a reverend's daughter . . . and all."

"Um no. I don't."

"Oh. I'll see what I can find."

"Well she seems nice."

"Nicole?" Ashley asked.

I nodded, realising she couldn't see me nod.

"Yeah."

"Lucy," Ashley said, standing.

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to lie to me. I'm _from_ New York."

"Well I just always try to see the best in people."

"Yeah? Well, here's some free advice for ya; don't. You'll just wind up hurt in the end."

"Oh. Ok."

"Your perkiness is really starting to wear on my nerves."

"Oh."

"So, again, what do you want to drink?"

She peered back into the fridge.

"Who's Lily?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Lily. Who's, Lily?"

"Oh. Friend of mine."

"Oh. Is she.....um...?"

"No Lucy she's not a hooker."

"Oh."


	9. how tame

"Um, just water," I replied.

Ashley chuckled.

"Water. How tame," she muttered.

"What's wrong with water? It's good for you."

"So's red wine. You want some?"

"You drink?"

I was surprised.

She went over to the cabinet over the sink and got a cup down. She closed the cabinet door and filled the glass with water the n handed it to me.

"Yeah, don't you?"

"Um. No."

"Oh, right, being a reverend's daughter. And all. You can stay for dinner if you want. We...actually I, need to go grocery shopping since Craig never does. Nicole sometimes will bring something by. Do you want to come...actually you probably should."

"Ok but if I'm going to I need to call my dad."

"You're the kindof person who plays by the rules aren't you," Ashley stated.

"Um."

I leaned against the counter and sipped my water.

"Thought so. You have a lot more fun when you don't."

"Oh."

I was starting to realise she wasn't a very nice person.

"You know," I began slowly, "you don't have to be here. A nice family could take you in. We could, even."

"If the rest of your family's anything like you then I don't want to be a part of it."

"Oh."

"Nothing infuriates you."


End file.
